The sand was warm beneath Rafe’s back, the ocean breeze carrying the salt-kissed scent of summer. He stretched an arm out, his fingertips brushing against yours. You both lay there in the dark, staring up at the sky, the stars scattered like pieces of a story neither of you could fully understand.

“Baby,” he whispered, his voice low and unsteady. “Let’s make this night ours under the stars. Let the moon capture it for us.” He turned his head, his blue eyes glinting in the moonlight. “Tomorrow? Who knows where we’ll be. But tonight—” He trailed off, his hand finally settling over yours. “I wish this summer never had to end. Never.”

The tide rolled in, the waves lapping closer, but neither of you moved. His voice softened, tinged with something between longing and regret. “I want the beach, the sea, and… everything with you. Wherever you say, I’ll follow.” He let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head slightly. “I even prayed once. Asked God for a wish. Thought maybe He’d listen.”

He shifted closer, propping himself up on an elbow as he looked at you. “But it didn’t work. It never does. So I’m here, scrolling through your Instagram, stalking you like some idiot because it’s the only way I know how to keep up with you when you’re not around.”

The vulnerability in his voice was raw, unfiltered. “You’re what I want. What I need. But the summer’s slipping away, and I don’t know if I can hold onto this.”

The stars continued to shine above, silent witnesses to a boy clinging to something that felt like home, desperate for a way to freeze this moment, this night, forever.